HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II (2)

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II

THEME: PRAY BEFORE YOU DO IT.

BY: Fr. Karabari Paul

HOMILY FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 6 2022

‘… Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called his disciples…’

In the Gospel of today (Luke 6:12-19), Jesus prayed and then picked the twelve apostles. It is necessary to explain that in choosing the twelve, Jesus was inaugurating a new Israel in himself. He was establishing the Church.

Jesus clearly understood that it was an important decision to choose them. And he had to move into the hills to pray all night. Important decisions, projects and plans should be made in the hills and on our knees.

Spending time with God is a way that we can re-charge and deal with the pressures that we are facing. He can help us get perspective on our situations and to help us prioritise rather than become overwhelmed by everything we need to do. Jesus prayed when important decisions had to be made. When it came to picking His closest friends, Jesus went to God for guidance. When we are making decisions, we need to be asking God for His wisdom on what we should do. God invites us to discuss things with him and get his input. The Bible says: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17).

Remarkably, even as God, the all night prayer of Jesus didn’t remove the presence of Judas in the college. God loves variety. That you see Judas among your seeds doesn’t make you a failure. Life offers us a mix, and that is the beauty. But the evil can be more than the good when we fail to seek His face before taking a step.

The choice of Judas was meant to teach ministers humility. They are not to suppose that once ordained they cannot err. On the contrary, they are to remember, that one ordained by Christ Himself was a wretched hypocrite. Let the minister who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

Again, the choice of Judas was meant to teach the lay-members of the Church, not to make idols of ministers. They are to esteem them highly in love for their work’s sake, but they are not to take them as infallible. The name of Judas should be a standing warning to “cease from man.” Let no man glory in men. (1 Cor. 3:21.)

Finally, our Lord’s choice of Judas was meant to teach the whole church, that it must not expect to see a perfectly pure communion in the present state of things. The wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad, will always be found side by side, until the Lord comes again. It is vain to look for perfection in visible churches. We shall never find it. A Judas was found even among the apostles. Converted and unconverted people will always be found mixed together in all congregations. We must find way to accommodate this truth. GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE. May God have mercy on us, bless us and protect us through Christ Our Lord Amen. Good morning